A Series Of Hijackings Part V
by dinkydow
Summary: Jack meets up with some old enemies and gets into trouble.


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Title: "A Series Of Hijackings" Part V

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Author: dinkydow

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Email: dinkydow20032002yahoo.com

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Category: Series, action/adventure, angst, hurt/comfort, sequel to "A Series Of Hijackings" Part 4.

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Rating: R for violent images and language. Serious Jack whumping.

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Spoilers: This takes place sometime early in Season eight.

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Summary: Jack gets into trouble, and meets up with some old enemies.

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Disclaimer: Nope, don't own any of them. Couldn't afford to if I did and don't have a mountain to hide them in. Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions do. I wrote this for entertainment and won't be making any money for it. (Heavy sigh).

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Author's Notes: So, whatcha think? Since I'm writing this in April/May, some of my guesses about Season eight shows will probably be a little off base. What can I say? Ernie, Renek, and Tu'at are mine, though. If you want to borrow them, let me know and promise to feed and water them. A big thank you to Alice for betaing this for me. Yes, I like receiving constructive feedback.

"Dad!"

"Huh…?"

"Wake up, Dad! You've got to get going before it's too late," the voice continued insistently. I tried opening my eyes, but they didn't seem to want to work right.

"Please, Dad, you've got to wake up!" Dammit, couldn't a man get a decent night's rest around here?

"Charlie?"

"Yeah it's me, Dad. Wake up for me. Please?" he begged. I tried again, and my eyes listened to me, this time. When they focused, I saw that my son, Charlie, was standing in front of me.

"Whatcha doin', Charlie?" I asked. He gave me a relieved smile and grabbed hold of my hand.

"You're almost out of time. If you don't move now, you won't have time to make it to the Stargate," he explained reasonably. Yeah, as if that explained everything. My mind still felt fuzzy and thinking was difficult.

"Where are we, Charlie?" I asked as I looked around. From what I could see, we were standing on the roof of my house. Huh? How'd I get there?

"You're inside Ba'al's fortress, Dad. Remember? That Redneck guy put a Snake in your head again."

"Oh yeah…now I remember. Wait a minute, son. How long have I been out?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, Dad. You've been out for over two hours and you're running out of time." Crap, he was right. According to Carter, the snake knockout drug was only supposed to last about four hours. That left me just under two hours to make it out of Ba'al's House of Fun.

"Where am I, Charlie? I mean…where did those goons put me after I was snaked?"

"They dumped you in the sarcophagus," he replied soberly. "Dad? You have even less time than you think, because some of the drug was neutralized when it revived you." Double crap. This was so not a good thing. Guess I'd better get moving then. With that thought, Charlie and my immediate surroundings evaporated, leaving me in darkness.

I forced my eyes open again and found myself stretched out on a soft bed. Fortunately, someone had gone to the trouble of dressing me, so that was one less thing I had to worry about. I really hadn't wanted to traipse around Ba'al's place in my birthday suit again. When I tried pushing myself up into a sitting position, my arms seemed sluggish in responding to my commands, but I blamed it on the after-effects of the sarcophagus. That is, until a whispering voice inside my head told me different.

"Why do you persist in your feeble attempts to oppose your God, foolish host? Your pathetic efforts to defy me shall not go unpunished. Yield to me immediately, and perhaps I shall spare your body from my wrath," Ba'al taunted.

Now, I understood why I was having such trouble moving around. Fear of the consequences of failure gave me the extra spurt of adrenaline I needed to get me sliding off the bed. A momentary look around led me to the conclusion that I was in Ba'al's bedroom. Frantically, I searched for some shoes and slipped my feet into a pair of slippers that were beside the bed.

As I stumbled out the door of his chamber, I tried to figure out the most expeditious way out of the building. A quick search of our shared memories revealed the proper path to follow, and I headed down a long hallway at a shuffling pace as the Snake's voice continued to rant and rave inside my head. Pounding my fist on my thigh brought some relief because the resulting ache distracted me from his threats. As I turned another corner, I saw Renek jogging toward me. Crap.

"Jaffa, kree!" I grunted. "Attend your God, Renek," I ordered. He looked surprised to see me, but bowed and followed along behind me. So far, so good, I thought.

"My Lord Ba'al, what are your wishes," he asked.

"I need not explain myself to you, Renek! For I am your GOD," I growled, hoping he wouldn't notice that my voice didn't have the usual deep echoing effect of a Goa'uld.

"Yes, my Lord," he replied. Nevertheless, I could tell by his attitude that he was suspicious.

"Follow me, Jaffa. Kree!" I snarled in an attempt to imitate the voice of a Snake. However, the voice of Ba'al that resonated inside my head was back, and it sounded louder this time.

"Submit to your God, for you are much too weak and pitiable to withstand my absolute authority." Hitting my thigh again didn't drown out his voice this time. Resolutely, I forced myself to keep moving because I knew that I was running out of time.

Up ahead, I could see a dark courtyard lit by flickering torches. Doggedly, I continued to struggle toward my goal and freedom. My footsteps faltered when I was hit by a tendril of fire that raced through my body. Damn, the knockout drug was definitely wearing off. Renek must've noticed me stumble, because he was suddenly at my side, preventing me from falling to my knees.

"My Lord, your host is weak and is not yet fully recovered from the implantation. Allow me to assist you to your chambers," he implored.

"Silence, Jaffa! Your God must return to the Stargate," I insisted stubbornly. "Assist me. Kree!" The effect was ruined when I collapsed into his arms and moaned in pain as another sheet of fire rippled through my body. Crap. The Snake inside my head was doing his best to keep me from escaping.

The courtyard seemed so close now, only a couple of yards away. With the spirit of grim determination, I pushed away from the Jaffa and staggered toward the beckoning exit. Just a bit further, I chanted to myself. When my body was engulfed in yet another sheet of pain, I bit my lip to keep the moan from escaping my lips and using the wall as a support, lurched on in the direction of my goal. Just a few steps more, I recited to myself. When, I finally stumbled out into the nighttime air, I realized that Renek was still at my side. He reached out to steady me once more when I nearly fell to my knees.

"My Lord, you are in need of the sarcophagus," he argued firmly.

"No, must…get…to…the…Stargate," I insisted again. I desperately tried to break away from his strong grasp, but his muscles were like iron. Yet another flood of sizzling pain erupted through my body, and this time, I couldn't keep the groan from leaving my lips. My knees buckled underneath me, leaving Renek carrying my entire weight.

"My Lord, the sarcophagus awaits you," he ordered firmly as he lowered me gently to the ground.

"No…please," I whispered. Then, I felt my eyes flash white, and I realized that I had run out of time. Without my willing it, my mouth opened and spoke in a deep resonating tone.

"Jaffa, kree! Attend your God," Ba'al commanded. The sound of running feet was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

I was adrift in a black prison of sensory deprivation. Nothing could penetrate the abyss. Alone with my thoughts, I struggled to remember how I'd gotten there. After some effort, the memory returned of the Goa'uld entering my body a second time and my desperate, but futile attempt to escape. Ba'al. Crap.

I fought to envision Charlie and my rooftop observatory and knew I was succeeding when his face swam into view in front of me. By concentrating harder, I could hear his voice urging me to follow him.

"Come on, Dad. You can do it," He smiled encouragingly and held out his hand to me. In my mind's eye, I pictured my hand reaching toward him. When I could feel his small hand cupped inside mine, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Charlie, you're back."

"Of course I am, Dad. We've got to move fast because you have to sneak off to your rooftop hideout while he's not paying any attention to you."

Using my son as a guide, I struggled to visualize my rooftop sanctuary. Slowly, I created it, piece by piece, until it was complete. With an almost audible snap, I found myself holding my son's hand and standing beside the ladder leading from the ground up to my rooftop. I'd made it! No one else was there with us, and I took a moment to admire the view. In the distance, I could see the snow-capped summit of Pike's Peak surrounded by wispy clouds. The sun shone down upon us and felt warm upon my skin. It felt like heaven and I didn't ever want to leave.

"It's good to see you again, Charlie," I acknowledged as I knelt down to embrace him in a tight hug.

"I'm just keeping my promise, Dad. You know, the one where I said I would always watch over you?"

"I remember, son. I just hate the fact that you have to keep bailing your old man out of trouble, that's all," I admitted sheepishly.

"No problem, Dad," he admonished with a grin.

"How long will I be able to stay here, Charlie?"

"I don't know." We both moved over to sit cross-legged on the floor. The memory of how I'd been dragged out of my sanctuary the last time made me shiver.

"Don't think about him, Dad," he warned. "Whenever you do that, he notices you."

"OK… Can you update me on what my friends are doing? I remember you told me before about your rules." The images of my dead friends, Charlie Kawalski and Janet Fraiser, abruptly appeared on the roof. It looked like the SGC Guardian Angel Squadron was on duty again. Sweet. I could use all the help I could get. Later, I would have to talk to them about their acronym. Somehow, the 'SGC GAS' just didn't cut it.

"Hey Jack. Fancy meeting you here," Kawalski smirked.

"Back atcha," I answered with a mock salute.

"What's up, Doc?" I grinned. Evidently, Janet had heard that one a few times before, and shot me a dirty look.

"Still the smart ass, aren't you, Jack?" she retorted.

"Hey, not in front of the kid," I objected as I covered my son's ears with my hands. He shrugged my hands away from his head and shot me a dirty look. After all, he'd heard more than his fair share of cuss words come out of his own Dad's mouth while he was still alive. I think it's a male testosterone thing, either that, or a product of being around the military too long.

"Can any of you fill me in on how my friends are doing?" I asked plaintively. Yeah, I admit it. I missed them.

"Of course, Jack. When you stumbled outside Ba'al's fortress, Thor was able to get a fix on your location, but couldn't beam you out because of the interference of the shields. Sorry, buddy. You almost made it," Kawalski reported.

"Sure, but 'almost' only counts with horseshoes and grenades. So what else can you tell me?"

"General Hammond has been informed of all recent developments. He's still back at the base running things until you get back, Jack," reported Janet supportively. "So that's one less thing for you to worry about." By common assent, we avoided talking about certain subjects. They knew as well as I did that I couldn't be told about the location of my friends. Nor could they advise me of any of my teams' plans as my respite from the Snake inside my head could be interrupted at anytime.

"So now what? Do I just wait around until I get hauled kicking and screaming out of here, or what?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, that's about the size of it, Jack," acknowledged Fraiser. "It would help if you could keep yourself occupied with something."

"How 'bout a barbecue? I know it's a cliché and a tad crazy having the grill on my roof and all, but what are they going to do? Sic the Fire Marshall on me?" With my words, my gas grill appeared beside me, complete with glowing coals, utensils, and marinating steaks and burgers. Since the coals were already hot, I grabbed the spatula and deposited a couple of the hamburger patties and a steak on the grill above the hot coals. They sizzled and crackled realistically as they began to turn brown. Now all I needed was some sodas to drink.

As quickly as the idea was formed, a cooler full of sodas and ice appeared beside the barbecue grill. Cool. Grinning, I reached down to snag a couple of cans, handing them out to my friends. Smiling in remembrance, I placed a can of root beer in my son's open hand. That had always been his favorite. I chose a coke and popped the tab. My friends were all drinking their sodas and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Lifting my can in the air, I made a toast.

"To old friends."

"To old friends," they agreed as they all raised their cans in response to my toast.

Popping sounds recalled my attention to the cooking meat. I expertly flipped them all over so they could finish cooking. Janet was bustling around, getting the rest of the food and the plates ready.

Before long, the steaks and burgers were char-grilled to perfection and we were all sitting on the floor munching away on the goodies. Charlie had gotten into my stash of chips and gummies and was stuffing them into his mouth like they would be outlawed at midnight. I just sat there, enjoying the peacefulness of it all. An odd whisper in the wind suddenly caught my attention. As I cocked my head to listen, I noticed my friends shaking their heads at me. The attack against my refuge had begun.

"Don't listen, Dad," my son implored with a sad look on his face. The sound came again, only this time it was louder. I shook my head violently and scooted over to hold my son in my arms.

"Hold onto me, Charlie," I begged. "Don't let go." His arms wrapped around my waist and he snuggled up onto my lap.

"Submit to your God, impudent host," Ba'al ordered contemptuously. I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut to better concentrate on feeling my son's comforting presence in my lap.

"Focus on me, Dad," he urged.

The first wave of pain hit me like a jolt of electricity, sending my body into spasms. I bit my lip, and curled around my son, in an attempt to retain the feel of him in my arms. For a while, it worked, and I was able to uncurl my body and open my eyes. I sighed in relief when I realized I was still on the roof.

Then I was hit by another surge of pain, but it was more intense this time. Grimly holding onto my vision of Charlie, I did my best to ride it out. It hurt, though…bad. I struggled to bring my breathing back under control.

"You are incapable of withstanding your God's superior might. Submit to me and I may be merciful to you. Tell me about the weapon," Ba'al demanded.

"No," I whispered.

Charlie was gone. I could no longer feel him in my arms. Once again, that Snake had hauled me out of my refuge. His image stood towering over me. As before, he was wearing my body and speaking with my voice. His eyes flashed in anger, and I was overwhelmed with another sheet of fiery pain that caused me to cry out.

"If you tell me what I what to know, I will stop the pain," he said reasonably.

"I…can't," I panted.

"I don't believe you," he argued. He smiled in a perverted parody of my cocky grin.

"Thor… locked it…away," I insisted.

"I have searched your mind, and I know that you can provide me with what I desire." Another wave of fire consumed my senses and left me gasping for breath.

"I just told you…I can't get to it," I answered between clenched teeth.

"I do not believe you. With time, and the right incentives, you will give me the information. Think on this, my foolish host, you belong to me and I have all the time in the world to wear down your resistance. Your pitiful efforts cannot prevent me from seizing whatever I wish," he assured me confidently. Then his, no, my eyes flashed white again and my world went black.

After enduring such intense torment, the nothingness of sensory deprivation was almost welcome. Tentatively, I tried imagining Charlie again, but gave up after my efforts weren't rewarded. With the awareness that he wouldn't exile me to the darkness forever, I settled down to wait it out.

Some time later, the Snake inside my head permitted me to watch the world through his, no, my eyes. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if he was doing me any favors by allowing me to view his actions. The knowledge that I couldn't influence him to change his brutal behavior and could only look on helplessly while he strengthened his power base made me seethe in frustration.

Ba'al kept Loki busy producing clones of the super soldiers. The little Asgard scientist was guarded constantly and didn't look like he was being treated very well. When he saw the body of 'Jack O'Neill' ordering people around, he looked shocked. But, he caught on real fast when he heard the echoing resonance of my voice and Ba'al made my eyes flash white. The Snake appeared to be getting a kick out of Loki's reaction to his new host and communicated his delight to me at every opportunity. When he felt my chagrin, he laughed even louder. His efforts to demoralize me were working and we both knew it. Crap.

Periodically, he would banish me to my black hole for a while. Even though I knew this was part of his brainwashing technique, I began to look forward to the times when he let me out to view his world. He'd stopped interrogating me about the Ancients, but he really didn't have to question me anymore. He knew I couldn't hold out against him indefinitely, and was waiting for the passage of time to erode my defenses. And time was on his side.

The next several times he let me out to see his world, I recognized that Ba'al was reasserting his authority over his Army of Jaffa. He was accomplishing this by ordering his super soldiers to execute entire squads of them for the smallest of infractions. Renek didn't look happy with the way that things were going. In contrast, Ba'al seemed to exult in the pain and destruction he was causing and totally disregarded the disapproving looks of his First Prime.

During another one of my outings, Ba'al permitted me to eavesdrop while he communicated with the System Lords about the upcoming Summit. When they discovered the identity of his new host, they all seemed shocked, which pleased the Snake in my head to no end. In fact, I had to endure his gloating boasts for days afterwards. With the use of my caustic wit, I attempted deflect his comments, but he easily repelled my mental jabs at his ego.

As the day of the Summit's commencement neared, Ba'al let me out more often. Renek could be seen preparing the fleet for the coming journey to the meeting place. As usual, it was taking place at the space station in the Hasara System. Ba'al was planning to take the bulk of his fleet to the meeting, along with his army of super soldiers. Loki was coming along with us too. I guess Ba'al wanted to keep his pet Asgard scientist close to him. Knowing him, he probably planned to use him to further intimidate the other System Lords. Most of his Jaffa Army was being left behind on his planet, though.

Ba'al constantly bragged about his plans to take over as the Grand Poobah of the Snakehead Social Club while I did my best to ignore him. It worried me that I was becoming used to being totally controlled by him. Not surprisingly, he thought it was quite amusing. His endless taunts of how he had broken 'his mighty Tau'ri host' got on my nerves, big time. I refused to call him my Lord, though, and he didn't like that. Not one bit. Oh well, if that was the only way I could hang on to my identity as Jack O'Neill, then I would take it and run with it. On the other hand, he refused to address me by anything other than 'my host'.

Another component of his plan of demoralization was unveiled in the days preceding the Summit. Somehow, he'd managed to collect several blonde-haired, blue-eyed, female slaves. When he revealed his harem of Carter look-alikes, I was so stunned that I was unable to mask the dismay and revulsion I felt.

Unlike before, I began to dread being summoned from my dark prison by Ba'al because I knew what he had planned. It usually consisted of forcing me to watch him raping, torturing, and/or killing one of those women. When he ordered his victims to beg 'Jack' for mercy, I raged against him and his depravity. Of course, my anger and threats did nothing more than provide him with more entertainment. Even though I kept telling myself that those poor unfortunates were not Carter and that I wasn't to blame, their cries of agony and terror followed me back down into my dark solitary confinement where I was consumed with fury and shame.

During this time, I noticed Renek examining me closely, and couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head. It was obvious that his days as First Prime were numbered, and he knew it. I could only speculate how that might turn out. By now, I was very careful to guard my thoughts, because I knew that my Snake roommate had access to them. Worst of all though, I'd reluctantly concluded that it would be too demoralizing to even dream of rescue. I could only hope that my friends would keep their promise and free me from this living death.

I'd been exiled to my dark hole once again, when I suddenly experienced unexplained pain. To my astonishment, I realized that I'd regained control over my body and senses. When I opened my eyes, I saw Renek standing over me holding a zat. Well, that explained the pain as well as the silence of my Snake roommate. Grabbing at my chance, I sat up and looked Renek in the eye. He looked nervous and was speaking to me.

"We must hurry, Tau'ri O'Neill. The effects of the zat'n'ktel will paralyze Ba'al for only a short time."

"Where are we going, Renek?"

"Outside, O'Neill. The Asgard are awaiting us," he assured me. He helped me to my feet and we both took off at a run. Strangely, the hallways were empty as we hurried toward the exit. The floor shook under our feet and I could hear the sounds of explosions.

"What's going on? I asked my companion.

"The combined forces of the System Lords are attacking Ba'al's Outpost." Sweet. I guess Renek had finally gotten sick of Ba'al's power games and turned on him. The floor shook again and the overhead lights flickered as detonations continued to boom all around us. The exit was coming up and I began hoping that we might actually break out this time. With a feeling of dread, I felt the first stirrings of the Snake inside my mind.

"It's wearing off, Renek," I warned. "If I don't escape, promise that you'll disintegrate me with your zat. Please?"

"I promise, O'Neill," he replied solemnly. We exited into the night air and continued running through the courtyard. However, I began experiencing difficulty coordinating my muscles and realized that it wouldn't be long before Ba'al regained control. Already, I could hear him raging at me.

"Renek," I gasped. "He's coming. Just zat me and go." He dropped my arm and turned to face me with his weapon raised. At that same moment, we were both surrounded by white light. Then my world went dark and I knew that Ba'al had me again. The sound of his mocking laughter followed me into oblivion.

Slowly, I swam through a heavy fog until I finally perceived a light ahead of me. Cautiously, I reached for it, and realized I could hear the sounds of an Asgard medical pod in my ears. Fearing a trick, I attempted to locate the presence of my Snake companion and was shocked when it wasn't there. Deciding to take a risk, I warily opened my eyes. Above my head was the familiar translucent lid of the medical pod.

Could it be possible that I'd escaped? I tried closing my eyes and opening them again. The scene before me hadn't changed and my eyes still obeyed my commands. As I watched, the lid retracted into the sides of the pod. Turning my head, I was able to confirm that I was in an Asgard medical pod. Experimentally, I tried moving my arms, and really wasn't surprised when I felt the restraints. A familiar face appeared in my field of vision. Ernie.

"Welcome back, Jack O'Neill. Long time, no see," he commented with a bounce.

"Ernie?" I whispered hoarsely.

"Ya think?" he replied.

"How?" Interpreting my question accurately, he continued.

"Thor used the transporter device to beam you and Renek aboard 'The O'Neill II'. Once the shield generator was blown to smithereens, Thor was also able to beam up Loki. The Asgard renegade is now in the pokey, Jack O'Neill." Serves him right, the little flat-assed, meddling Dr. Moreau wannabe. Hope he rots in jail.

"Oh… Is Renek OK?"

"Yes, Jack O'Neill, he is in good health and has been bugging me about you." Gee, Renek had turned out to be an all-right type of guy after all.

"My team?"

"They are aboard and have been pestering me to allow them see you ever since we beamed you back," Ernie explained.

"Sounds great, Ernie. When can I see them?"

"You can visit with them later, after you have rested, Jack O'Neill." I nodded slowly in agreement, realizing I still felt exhausted. I still needed to know one more thing, but was almost afraid to ask it. I felt skeptical that I might be free of Ba'al's domination, but hesitant to concede defeat, just in case it might actually be true. Taking a deep breath, I went for broke.

"Ba'al?" There, I'd said it. I could only trust I wasn't in for the letdown of a lifetime.

"Utilizing the extraction procedure, he was removed from your body soon after you were transported to our vessel. After we confirmed that it was indeed Ba'al, the symbiote was disintegrated. I believed it would be best if you were knocked out for the procedure, so I slipped you a mickey," he assured me solemnly. Ba'al was dead?

"Dead?" I asked again.

"Yes, he is dead, Jack O'Neill. As in totally and completely tango uniform and tits up. He is an ex-snake."

"Sweet," I whispered. It was true. I was free! Despite my best efforts to remain awake and savor my freedom, I could feel my eyes sliding shut. Resolutely, I opened them again.

"Ernie? Thanks," I whispered. I was losing the battle to keep them open.

"No problemo, buddy," Ernie assured me with a bounce for emphasis. I smiled and let sleep take me.

When I opened my eyes again, I quickly realized that I had company from the faint buzz of conversation in the background. By concentrating, I could discern the voices of Carter, Daniel, and Teal'c. However, the sound of her voice brought back very unpleasant memories, and for a moment, I wondered if I hadn't escaped after all. A quick, but thorough inventory of my mind revealed no trace of the Snake's presence. Whew! I decided to let them know that I was finally awake.

"Hey guys." It worked because I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Soon, the faces of my friends were gazing down upon me as I lay on the bed. They looked pleased to see me and had grins on their faces. Even Teal'c. Wow! When I saw Carter's face, though, I winced involuntarily and had to close my eyes. Crap. Seeing her face just reminded me of all those poor Carter look-alikes that Snake had tortured.

"That you, Carter?" I asked fearfully. From the puzzled look on her face, I knew she must've thought I'd finally lost it.

"Of course, it's me, Sir. Who else would it be?" God, if she only knew!

"It's nothing, Carter. You just reminded me of someone else for a minute. Guess I'm still kind of groggy," I replied warily with the hope that she would let the subject drop. Time for one of Jack O'Neill's famous tactics in diversion.

"Whatcha doin' kids? I asked with a smile.

"Ernie most graciously granted us permission to maintain a vigil by your bedside, O'Neill. We have been awaiting your awakening for several hours," Teal'c stated with a small bow.

"Cool," I replied. I didn't feel nearly as worn-out and sore as I'd felt before. Hopefully, that improvement meant that I could get on with my life. Jack O'Neill with a life? What a concept!

"Anybody care to bring me up to date?" I asked. Carter responded first. At least she didn't sound exactly like those other women's voices.

"When we were unable to transport you off the surface of Ba'al's planet, we set our contingency plan into motion. Fortunately, Renek contacted us and offered to supply us with the information we needed to extract you," she explained. Then Teal'c took over.

"After the super soldiers began systematically executing Jaffa loyal to Ba'al, Renek realized he needed to halt the senseless slaughter of his soldiers. With this in mind, he was able to successfully sabotage the shield generators protecting Ba'al's fortress. Jaffa loyal to him also disabled the shields of his Ha'taks in orbit around the planet. Therefore, when the combined fleet of the other System Lord's attacked, Ba'al's forces were taken by surprise and easily defeated." Then Daniel took over from Teal'c.

"As soon as the shield generators were disabled, Thor was able to beam Loki up to the ship along with you and Renek. Once you were all safely onboard, Loki's laboratory was destroyed. According to Thor, the renegade scientist will be incarcerated for a long, long time. And I have the feeling that the security guarding him will be much more stringent than the previous time."

"How long was I gone?" I asked curiously. While I was that snake's host, I'd lost all track of time and couldn't help but wonder just how long I'd been imprisoned in that living death.

"A period of three weeks has elapsed since the time you were abducted from the hallway of 'The O'Neill II'," Teal'c advised. Crap, in some ways it had seemed much longer. More like an eternity.

"Three weeks, huh?"

"Yes, Sir," Major Carter confirmed. "General Hammond has been briefed on your status and asked me to pass along his good wishes. He said to tell you that your job as CO of Stargate Command is still waiting for you."

"Wow. You mean they still want me back even after being snaked a second time? What about the huge honkin' security risk I pose?" I asked incredulously.

"According to General Hammond, the President himself, made that decision, Sir," she assured me with a smile. Sure, I wanted my command back, but because of all the crap I'd been through, I'd been convinced that dream was totally out of my reach. The news that I was returning to the SGC infused my body with sudden energy and hope.

"So kids. What's next on the agenda? When do we get back home?" A swishing door announced the arrival of my two Asgard friends, Ernie and Thor.

"We will be orbiting your planet in about eight of your hours O'Neill. We have timed our arrival to coincide with your full recovery. Because of our advanced medical technology, Eir deemed it would be wise to supervise your complete medical treatment," Thor advised me solemnly.

"That's cool, Thor. By the way buddy, thanks for yanking my ass out of there. You know that I'll never be able to repay you for that. You too, kids. Thanks for sticking by me and not giving up."

"It was, as you say, no big deal, O'Neill. Rather it is we who owe you a great debt, as you were instrumental in causing the downfall of a very powerful and dangerous System Lord. Thanks to your efforts, the status quo has been restored to the Goa'uld hierarchy," answered Thor. I just shrugged my shoulders in answer to the Asgard Supreme Commander. By turning my head, I could see that Ernie was busy moving shells around on the surface of the control-console.

"Upsy daisy, Jack O'Neill. It is time that you were allowed to sit up for a bit. Perhaps this will help," he commented as the head of my bed began to rise, propping me up in a semi-upright position. I liked the fact that it allowed me to look around the room and take in the wonderful sight of my friends surrounding me. I realized I was dressed in some kind of gown and that several tubes were attached to my chest. Guess I wasn't ready for pants, yet. To my surprise, this discovery didn't bother me. I guess, deep down inside, I knew I wasn't up to par yet. Both my mind and body would need more time to heal.

"Thanks a bunch, Ernie. It's good to see your face again too. Have you eaten all of my stash of gummies yet?" I asked with a frown.

"That is for me to know and you to find out, Jack O'Neill," retorted my Asgard Doctor. Yep, his education on Tau'ri customs was coming right along. All my friends were grinning now and even Thor managed to look guilty. Guess I'd gotten him hooked on them too. I couldn't wait to hear the effect that those gummi candies would have on the Asgard population.

"Renek has expressed the wish to speak with you, O'Neill. Shall I allow him to approach you?" asked Teal'c. "He seems quite enthusiastic about his newfound freedom and has been actively recruiting others to the cause of the Free Jaffa."

"Sure, Teal'c. Tell him to come on in," I replied. To tell you the truth, I was curious to hear what he had to say. I also felt that I owed him big time. If he hadn't helped me out back there…

"Why don't we all leave so they can have some privacy, guys?" suggested Daniel. "I have the feeling that they have a lot of things to talk about."

I watched as they all went out the door. Renek must have been waiting just outside, because as soon as they left, he walked in. He looked at me uncertainly and then marched up to my bedside. I was shocked when he fell to one knee in front of me and bowed his head.

"Tau'ri O'Neill, I have come before you today to beg your forgiveness," he stated humbly. Huh?

"Oh, for crying out loud, Renek. Get up off your knees so I can look at you," I ordered. When he complied with my request, I continued.

"Why don't you pull up a chair so we can have a little chat. It sounds like you have a lot to get off your chest." I waited until he was seated.

"What's this crap about begging me for forgiveness, Renek? I should be the one thanking you for hauling my ass out of there. If it wasn't for your help, I'd still have a snake in my head." He still wouldn't look me in the eyes. Guess it was time to try something different.

"By the way, doesn't Renek translate as 'honor'?" I asked. When he gave me a surprised look, I knew I had his attention.

"That is correct, O'Neill. However, I believe it should be altered to Tok'Renek because of the dishonorable way I have behaved toward you and my Jaffa brethren." His eyes were fixed on the floor again. How could I convince him that we all make mistakes?

"Look at me, Renek," I ordered firmly. "If it makes you feel better, then I forgive you. But first, you need to understand something. As soldiers, you and I both have had to do some damn distasteful things in our time. Yes, that includes me too. I don't like to think about those things, but can't escape the fact that I did them."

"You and I differ, in that you are indeed an honorable warrior, O'Neill," he objected.

"Would you cut the crap and listen?" At his nod, I continued. "Sure, I don't like the fact that you grabbed my ass and turned me into a Snakehead again. It hurt like hell, and I sincerely hope that I never have to go through that again," I admitted.

Because of his position as former First Prime to one mean and sicko Snake, he'd been party to some pretty nasty stuff. And I knew that he couldn't be ignorant of how such torture affected its victims. Hell, he'd probably watched as they slowly went insane and died from the agony inflicted on them. I glanced back to the seated Jaffa. The look on his face was one of confusion and fear.

"Listen, Renek. I'm not sure that I can grant you absolution for your crimes. What I mean, is…" As I struggled for the right words, he raised his eyes to meet mine.

"Have you tried talking about this to anyone else, Renek?"

"Indeed, I have, O'Neill. I have spoken at length with your friend, Teal'c. It was he who recommended I discuss this with you," he admitted.

"That's a good start, Renek. If anyone can understand where you're coming from, it would be him. Tell me, do you consider Teal'c to be an honorable man?" I asked.

"Of course, O'Neill. Why would I not believe such a thing? His act of defiance against his former Master, Apophis, took great courage. His achievement has inspired many Jaffa to seek their freedom from the Goa'uld oppressors."

"Yet, as the First Prime of Apophis, didn't he commit many crimes of brutality? After all that he's done, how can you trust someone like that?" I asked in an effort to drive my point home.

"I do not honor the misdeeds of his past, rather, I admire him for the valor and integrity he has since demonstrated. Ever since I made his acquaintance, he has shown me nothing but respect, despite the fact that I caused great harm to a dear friend of his," he explained.

"Why can't you give yourself the same break that you've given to Teal'c? Or aren't you as deserving of a second chance to start over with a clean slate?" I could see that my words had got him thinking.

"Listen, Renek. I'm certainly no angel myself. Sometimes the only way I can sleep at night is if I tell myself to get on with living my life in as honorable way as possible. Since none of us can change the past, all we can do is try to make amends. If we spend our time wallowing in guilt and regret, the bad guys win. I don't know about you, but I so do not want that to happen. So what do you say, Renek? Will you forgive yourself and try to make things right? It sounds like you've already made a good start by joining the Free Jaffa." My words seemed to take the former First Prime by surprise, but I could tell that he had listened to what I had to say.

"Thank you for your words of wisdom, Tau'ri O'Neill. You are indeed a wise and extraordinary leader of your people," he stated. Then he gave a small bow of his head. Hopefully he would think on my words because his addition to Teal'c's cause would be a big boast in Jaffa morale.

"That's cool, buddy. Why don't you get the rest of our friends in here so we can make some plans," I suggested. He got up and gave me another slight bow.

"As you wish," he assented before heading for the door. When he returned, all my friends were smiling and talking amongst themselves. Things were definitely looking up for the time being. Since I would be heading back to the SGC soon, I had some plans to make.

"So, Thor. What's the plan? Will you beam us straight back to the SGC?"

"No, O'Neill. General Hammond and President Hayes have requested that you and your team be transported directly to the Oval Office in the White House. Eir and I will be accompanying you." The White House, huh? Well, I don't blame the President for wanting to check me out. After all, I'd been snaked twice and I'm sure he had a whole honkin' bunch of questions for me.

"That sounds just peachy, Thor. Anybody hungry? I could go for a cup of Daniel's coffee and some potato chips and gummies right about now," I added plaintively.

"I do not think so, Jack O'Neill," contradicted Ernie. "You still look like something the cat dragged in. Perhaps after you have received additional rest and medical treatment, your belly will be ready for such food."

"Aw, for crying out loud, Ernie. I feel fine," I groused. To tell you the truth all this company was getting to me. In fact, my body was feeling numb and my mind felt like it was going to blow a circuit at any second. After all, this was the most people I'd talked to since I'd been snaked the last time. Ernie seemed to realize my brain was starting to overload.

"Everyone must leave now, as Jack O'Neill is in need of additional treatment. Will you leave willingly, or do I have to throw you out?" I gave them all a wan smile. No one seemed in a hurry to argue with Ernie. Wise choice.

"We shall all take our leave at this time, Ernie. However, we wish to be notified when O'Neill can once again receive visitors," intoned Teal'c as he shepherded everyone out the door.

"Thanks, Ernie," I murmured. "All this company was kind of overwhelming. Guess I'm still not used to being around people yet."

"Ya think?" he asked with a bounce. Then he began moving shells around again and I started feeling sleepy.

"Nighty night, Jack O'Neill," he stated. "I am ensuring your rest by slipping you another mickey." Then, it was lights out for Jack O'Neill.

The well-known feeling of helplessness and despair filled me as I realized that I was standing in front of Ba'al's throne. A familiar-looking woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes knelt in on the floor in front of me. She gave me a terrified look and pleaded for her life yet again.

"Please, Jack! Don't hurt me. I love you. How can you do this?"

I watched in horror as my hand with the ribbon device rose once more. Vainly, I tried to stop my hand from moving. When my arm faltered, I knew a flash of triumph. However, it was extremely short-lived. After just a brief pause, my arm completed its upward journey and I felt a surge of power run through my body and exit my hand through the ribbon device. A golden beam of killing energy flashed from it to end at the forehead of the kneeling woman. Her wide-eyed gaze was riveted to my face as blood trickled out of her nose and ears. The beam only stopped when her eyes glazed over and lost all sign of life. Her body slumped bonelessly to the floor and I was forced to watch helplessly as she was dragged off to join the others who had died before her. But, Ba'al wasn't finished with me yet.

"Foolish host, why to do continue to oppose my dominance over you. I am your Master now, and you are mine for eternity. You must be punished for your impudence."

I was immediately consumed in a river of fire that rippled endlessly through my body. Screaming in agony, I awoke to find myself back in the Asgard medical pod with the sound of my outcry still echoing in the room. I heard a gasp and saw that Carter was standing about a foot away from my bed. Seeing that I was awake, she apprehensively took a step toward me.

"Sir? Are you all right? You seemed to be having a nightmare."

"Yeah, you could say that," I muttered shakily. Lifting my hand to my face, I discovered it was drenched in sweat. Carter had heard me scream and knowing her, she wouldn't leave until I gave her an explanation. Crap.

"Sir? Do you want to talk about it? Whatever it was about, it must have been a doozy. I was afraid to get anywhere near you in case you tried to deck me in your sleep."

"Sorry to scare you like that, Carter. You don't need to worry about it because I'll get over it with time. Just like all the other crap I've been through."

"You know that you really should talk about it. If you don't it'll just eat you up inside. Sir, you can trust me with this. Does it have anything to do with the funny looks you've been giving me since you've been back?" I did a quick double take at her words. Guess I hadn't been hiding my reactions as well as I'd thought. She'd sat down in the chair next to my bed as if to illustrate the fact that she wasn't leaving until she received a satisfactory answer.

"Yeah, it does, Carter. That Ba'al character was a real piece of work. I swear he'd lay awake at night just thinking up ways to make my existence miserable. Most of the time, he kept me penned up in a dark hole with no access to my senses. A new twist on the old 'sensory deprivation torture' I guess. That's not the half of it, though. Don't ask me how he did it, but he managed to create a personal harem of women with blonde hair and blue eyes that looked just like you. He even ordered them to call him 'Jack'." By now I was sweating and shaking again and I had to take a deep breath before I could continue. God, how I hated talking about this crap.

"Take your time, Sir. I'll be here as long as it takes for you to get through this," she said with a reassuring smile.

"Anyway, that bastard's favorite game was to make me watch while he tortured and raped them. All the while he was doing this, those poor women were begging him to stop. If they slipped up and didn't call him Jack, he got real pissed and was even rougher on them. Then, when he got tired of the pain-game, he'd kill them and drag in another one to take her place. Whenever I tried to stop what he was doing, he would punish me by shooting pain along the nerves in my body. And I was never able to stop him, Carter. He always won, no matter how hard I tried." Resolutely, I turned away knowing I couldn't look her in the eyes anymore. God only knew what she thought of me and what I'd done. Feeling a gentle touch on my shoulder, I about jumped out of my skin. Surprised, I realized it was Carter.

"Sir? Why won't you look at me?" she asked tremulously.

"Don't you get it, Carter? I raped and killed all those women. Me, as in Jack O'Neill, tortured all those poor girls to death. And the last thing they saw was my face smiling down at them. They took that image with them when they died, Carter," I admitted miserably. To keep from looking at her, I fixed my eyes on the ceiling above my head.

"Jack, it wasn't you that did all those horrible things. It was Ba'al. He had total control over your entire body. You said yourself that you tried to stop him. Didn't you?"

"I should've tried harder, Carter. Maybe if I had, those women would be alive today. Instead, they're dead and it's my fault. I killed them." Keep your eyes to the front, Jack. Don't you dare look at her, Jack. Without warning, the ceiling was replaced by Carter's face and she looked pissed. There was nowhere to hide now. Crap.

"That's where you're wrong, Jack. You weren't in control, Ba'al was. If you want to blame anyone for those deaths, blame him. This is one burden that you shouldn't take on, Jack, because it doesn't belong to you. Please believe me," she pleaded angrily. Flinging my arm across my eyes, I shook my head in violent negation of her words.

"Jack, do you remember when Skaara was taken as a host?" she asked. Taking my nod as her answer, she continued.

"He tried to kill you several times. Didn't he?"

"Yeah, I remember," I answered warily from behind the arm shielding my face and my shame from her eyes.

"You forgave him for all that. Didn't you?"

"You know I did, Carter. It was Klorel, doing that stuff, not him. He tried to stop him from doing those things, but the Snake in his head was just too strong."

"If that's the case, then what makes you so different from him, Jack? Huh?" she asked reasonably. Damn the woman and her logic. Without taking my arm from my eyes, I just shook my head in misery. A myriad of evil memories were racing through my head to the point that I couldn't think clearly anymore. Curiously enough, she seemed to understand my confusion.

"Jack, you've just been through a horrific experience and it's going to take you some time to recover your sense of self again. You're not just healing from physical trauma, you know. Why don't I let you get some rest? You look like you could use it," she added. At the mention of sleep, I panicked and slipped my arm down to look pleadingly at her.

"No! I mustn't sleep, Carter. Help me stay awake. As soon as I close my eyes, he's waiting for me. Don't let me go to sleep."

"Would you like me to get Ernie, Sir?"

"Do you mind?" In answer to my question, she just smiled and nodded her head.

"Hey, Ernie. Jack needs you," she called. As usual, it worked and he came bouncing into the room. That little guy must do nothing but hang around in the hallway just waiting for us to need something.

"Ernie, Jack's having some trouble sleeping and just had a doozy of a nightmare. Do you think you could help him out?"

"Yeah, sure ya betcha. I'll slip him a mickey," he replied. He adjusted some shells on the console. The last thing I saw was Ernie and Carter exchanging triumphant high fives. They'd known about this shit all along. Crap.

When I opened my eyes again, I could see that I was still lying propped up in bed. However, the gown was gone and had been replaced by pants. The tubes were gone from my chest too. Guess that meant I'd be getting sprung from Ernie's Infirmary and going home soon. This time, the thought of returning to my responsibilities didn't fill me with such doubt as it had before.

"It is good to see that you are once again alert and aware of your surroundings, O'Neill," commented Teal'c. I hadn't noticed him sitting cross-legged on the floor and I started.

"For crying out loud, T. Don't sneak up on me like that. You about gave me a heart attack."

"There was no attempt on my part at subterfuge, O'Neill. I had no wish to draw the fleece of a sheep over your optical receptors," he remarked as he gracefully rose from the floor. Obviously, his knees were still in excellent shape, unlike mine.

"That's 'pull the wool over my eyes', T," I said with a grin. "How long before we go home, Teal'c?"

"Thor has advised me that we are now in orbit around the Tau'ri home planet. Arrangements are currently being made for appropriate clothing to be brought for our use," he informed me as he walked toward my bed.

"Does that mean I have to wear my Class A's," I asked with a resigned sigh.

"Indeed. As does Major Carter."

"Crap. I hate those things. Hey Teal'c, buddy. Is there any way I could get out of wearing that monkey suit?"

"There is not, O'Neill. I believe that you will have to smile and endeavor to endure the experience. General Hammond himself dispatched Daniel on the errand to deliver the clothing to you. The General seemed most insistent on the choice of your apparel, O'Neill." By this time, Daniel had appeared at the door and was carrying a garment bag over his shoulder. He was dressed up in a suit too.

"Hey, Danny-Boy. Who died?" I asked with a smirk.

"Huh? Oh, nobody died, Jack. The General insisted we get all dressed up for our visit to the Oval Office. We have just enough time for you to put these on."

"What about that cup of coffee you promised me, Daniel? Do you have any idea how long it's been since I had a decent cup of vanilla roast?" I whined plaintively. Hey, I can grovel…if it's for the right reasons.

"Oh, all right, Jack. I'll get my coffeemaker brewing up some of the good stuff. The President of the United States will just have to wait," he answered with a grin.

"You're my kind of man, Danny-Boy. Hey T, tell Thor that we'll be slightly delayed. OK?"

"I shall comply with your wishes, O'Neill," replied my Jaffa friend as he inclined his head regally and departed the room.

"Hey, Ernie! Get in here!" I shouted. The little Asgard Doctor must've been loitering in the hallway, because he came bouncing right in.

"Danny-Boy promised me a cup of his best coffee, and I'm not leaving here until I get some. Is that clear, Doc?"

"Coming right up, Skippy. I'll beam the coffee and munchies right over," agreed Ernie. Yes, life was definitely looking better, I thought with a satisfied smile.

****

Epilogue: In a subterranean cavern far below the surface of a deserted Outpost, a strange and unholy tableau was unfolding. Tu'at, the High Priest of the Lord Ba'al, gazed with fascination at the creature swimming languidly in the tank. Soon it would be time for it to take a host. He mentally congratulated himself for having the foresight to coerce the weak Asgard slave to create several copies of his God prior to the last implantation. Tu'at himself had ensured that the cloned symbiotes had been spirited away to this secret location. Just in case. Although all aspects of this undertaking had been initiated without the knowledge of his Master, in retrospect, he believed his God would thank him for his foresight.

Unfortunately, his God's former host had succeeded in escaping to rejoin his Tau'ri brethren. Mentally, he damned the blasphemous Tau'ri for his Master's destruction and vowed retribution for the sacrilege. Although the Asgard slave had created many copies, only this one remained. It had proved its worthiness by ruthlessly eliminating its opponents.

The Goa'uld symbiote continued to swim gracefully in the tank as it awaited a vessel worthy for it to inhabit. Abruptly, it began to thrash angrily, raising ripples on the water's surface. My Lord Ba'al is angry, the Priest thought worriedly.

"Soon, My Lord. A host worthy of your supreme powers will be presented to you soon," he promised.

The End. Send feedback to dinkydow20032002yahoo.com


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